Four killed in Jharkhand during coal mine protest

BHUBANESWAR, India Four people died in Jharkhand when police opened fire during clashes with villagers who allege state-run NTPC Ltd violate forestry rights and does not offer enough compensation when acquiring land for a coal mining site.

Senior police officer M.S. Bhatia said the deaths occurred after "hundreds" of villagers attacked policemen in Hazaribag district of the Jharkhand state.

At first police used tear gas and rubber bullets, but were forced to open fire when protests intensified, Bhatia added.

Police said five villagers and seven policemen had also been injured during the clashes.

Villagers have been protesting for several days against a mining site run by NTPC. They have been demanding better compensation and jobs in return for land that was acquired.

NTPC could not immediately be reached for comment.

Conflicts over land rights often erupt in India as the country seeks more land for industrial and development projects.

NEW DELHI India's debt-laden steel industry should not take the government's protectionist measures for granted and need to raise their efficiency to compete with foreign companies, the country's steel minister told Reuters in an interview on Friday.